April 7 2025
Every year, during the second week of April, we observe the International Day of Pink. It began in Nova Scotia in 2007, when two Grade 12 students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, witnessed homophobic bullying and harassment against a Grade 9 student, all because he was wearing the colour pink. In a show of solidarity, they encouraged their fellow students to wear pink to school the following day. The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity later learned about this story and established the International Day of Pink to raise awareness and support for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals resisting bullying and harassment.
This year’s theme is Re-Emergence, to honour the 2SLGBTQIA+ activists who fight for safer communities where everyone is welcomed and celebrated.
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) encourages its members to wear pink on April 9th to show that our union has no space for homophobia, transphobia, or any other form of sexual or gender discrimination. Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states all Canadians have a right to an environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. The International Day of Pink is a call for us to confront injustice, for respect, and to ensure our unions work for the public good—including the rights and freedoms of our 2SLGBTQIA+ siblings.